Paediatric Medical Consultations
Our in-house Paediatrician, Dr Halbert, is a medical doctor, highly specialised in working with children and adolescents, and can provide medical consultations, treatments, prescription services and referrals for formal medical tests for those aged 0 – 17 years.
Who Is The Consultant?
Dr Jay Halbert is a Consultant Paediatrician who completed his specialist training at Great Ormond Street, University College London & Cambridge University Hospitals. His current NHS practice is at Tunbridge Wells Hospital having previously been the Clinical Lead at one of the largest paediatric oncology shared care centres in the UK at Barts Health. In 2023 Dr Halbert was awarded the prestigious NHS England Clinical Excellence (Impact) Award for his services to advance child health nationally & internationally.
Dr Halbert is passionate about providing safe, effective, compassionate and high quality care & has worked as an expert advisor to the UK Healthcare Regulator (CQC), National Institute for Health & Care Excellence (NICE), Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health (RCPCH), NHS England and to the World Health Organisation (WHO). He also works as an expert witness & provides a second opinions service for complex paediatric cases.
Dr Halbert is a Principal Investigator for several national & international child health studies. He is regularly invited to present his research & quality improvement projects at national & international conferences for which he has received numerous awards. He strives to practice evidence-based medicine & is author to several publications in peer reviewed journals (including The Lancet) & several book chapters. He is an Advanced Paediatric Life Support Instructor & Medical Director & enjoys teaching on a variety of undergraduate & postgraduate courses including the Masters of Tropical Paediatrics & Diploma of Tropical Medicine.
Dr Halbert strongly advocates a holistic & integrated approach to support children reaching their full potential. He is the Clinical Lead for Child Mental Health at Tunbridge Hospital & a committee member on the NICE Guideline for Self-harm.
Dr Halbert provides clinics in The Children’s Wellness Centre, proving Well-Child Checks, medical consultations, referrals for specialist testing and works as part of our multi-disciplinary autism assessment team.
All consultations with Dr Halbert our provided in our calm and welcoming therapy rooms, to ensure children and young people feel at ease.
What Our Paediatrician Can Support With
Some of the principal consultations carried out by Dr Jay Halbert at The Children’s Wellness Centre include:
- General everyday illnesses and ailments
- Allergies, including food allergies and anaphylaxis
- Childhood cancer including lumps and bumps
- Diabetes, thyroid disorders, short stature, growth hormone deficiency, early and delayed puberty
- Fever, recurrent infections and immunodeficiency
- Gastrointestinal conditions including reflux, colic, constipation, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, vomiting, coeliac disease
- Haematological conditions including anaemia, bleeding disorders, ITP, neutropenia, haemoglobinopathies, hereditary spherocytosis
- Head shape and plagiocephaly
- Headaches including migraines, epilepsy, faints and funny turns
- Heart murmurs, chest pain, palpitations
- Nutrition including healthy eating, feeding difficulties, failure to thrive, eating disorders including obesity and anorexia
- Pain and symptom management
- Respiratory conditions including shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, asthma, sore throats, ear infections, sleeping difficulties
- Rheumatological conditions including arthritis, limp, hypermobility, growing pains, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, sports medicine, minor injuries
- Skin rashes including eczema, dermatitis, nappy rash, vulvovaginitis, fungal infections, birth marks
- Syndromic disorders (such as Down syndrome), rare diseases, clinical genetics and metabolic disorders
- Urinary infections, enuresis (bed-wetting), irritable bladder, urinary incontinence, kidney disease
- Well-child checks, general parenting strategies, twins and multiple birth siblings
- Prescription services
- Formal confirmation of a Dyspraxia diagnosis (after an Occupational Therapy Assessment)
- Travel health including pre - and post-departure health advise and screening
Consultation Fees
Appointments with our Paediatrician are charged at £290, usually lasting around half an hour. The majority of concerns can be seen under this fee bracket.
For more complex concerns where a more detailed consultation is required, a 60-minute consultation is charged at £450.
Follow up consultations are charged at £220, if required.
Prior to the appointment you will be asked to fill in a medical form, which will be reviewed ahead of the appointment, so Dr Halbert has an initial understanding about your child
Please note, in some circumstances, your child may require further medical tests. These would either be carried out at The Spire, or Tunbridge Wells Hospital and can be organised by Dr Halbert. There will be additional charges for these tests, in line with the hospital’s fees. All follow up consultations can be provided within The Children’s Wellness Centre, for consistency for your child.